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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Of The Writing Life and Encouragement

I'm a writer. I love it. I suffer through various steps to try and get my little darlings out there into the big wide world. It's tough, tougher than I ever imagined when I first decided I wanted to be a writer.And I know the minute I can get my work out there, or hear from someone in the biz that it is good, or hear from someone impartial that it's good, then I know it was all worth it. Every single drop of blood, every single tear. All worth it.But still, it warms my heart when someone I know reads something of mine and enjoys it, honestly. And it really makes my day if it's outside the typical genre the read or something they typically can't stand, and they love it.Writer's have what is known as Ideal Readers. Someone they subconciously have in the back of their mind as they write. Almost wondering to themselves what that person will think of the tale. Maybe not every writer does. Stephen King does, and I figured out, not too long ago, that I do too.My ideal reader would be my best friend Krissy. My tiny little bundle of joy, heh heh. She's been reading what I writer since it was terrible. She read my fanfiction, my poetry, my earliest writings, my rough drafts, my revisions -- all of it. She's helped me stay motivated to write by giving me deadlines, told me if something didn't make sense, and spent countless hours pointing out my mistakes and highlighting errors (and, occasionally, highlighting for fun.). I know that she's read the story that an agent is looking at probably ten or more times, and still loves it.If something ever does come about with my writing, especially the story I'm working to get published right now, she's going in every single acknowledgment, and getting a dedication, and whatever else I can get for her (whether I have buttons, t-shirts, whatever). She is always there, has always been there, and will always be there. She's that person that you know you'll have forever, no matter where you go. She encourages me after rejections, celebrated when my manuscript was requested, and pushed me to keep going even when I thought it was pointless.Another person that inspires, motivates, and encourages me is my loving boyfriend, Taylor. He stands by my side, helps me research and checks my facts, reads over things, and keeps me going. When I got my first rejection, he said "Yay! You know what that means? One step closer to getting published. And presents for Angel time!". He might just be getting my first dedication, if Krissy doesn't.My mom, though we fight and bicker more than any mother and daughter should, is one of my biggest fans. She helps me edit, funds my existence, and encourages me. She is a great reference, and tells me flat out if something is wrong, missing, or confusing in a story.Last, and in no way least, is Heather Brewer. She's opened the door and let me into the Writing World. Her success inspires me. I can ask her a million questions and she'll answer every one of them. She convinced me to join Backspace, which is teaching me so much, and is teaching me things to better my career, like getting me to go the the Backspace conference, which is going to do wonders. She's a wonderful author, the best mentor, and a terrific (will you smack me for calling you this?) friend.These people aren't the only people that are helping me in my journey to become a published writer, but they are some of the most signifcant. The people I can't help but be thankful to and grateful for. Without them, I'd be nowhere near where I am right now.There are only a few weeks left to wait before I find out about my manuscript. Keep your fingers crossed and send me good vibes. I've got a good feeling, but also know that if I don't get it, I'll get over it. I'll get rolling on the next steps -- getting out short fiction, soaking up as much info from the Backspace community as possible, and rewriting my manuscript. I'll get out my second list of queries, work on some other WIP's that I want to get out there. There are several roads I can travel on. I just want to know which way I'm going so I can adapt.Back to the life of an aspiring author.

~Angel

(p.s. Wyman, you deserve honorable mention, because you've been so wonderful and supportive after all this time. Thank you so much.)